What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantSqualane
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Polysorbate 20
EmulsifyingTromethamine
BufferingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantGlyceryl Polymethacrylate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPropylene Glycol
HumectantTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
CI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Polysorbate 20, Tromethamine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Xanthan Gum, Propylene Glycol, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, CI 15985
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientHexyl Laurate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventSilybum Marianum Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantEthylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer
Parfum
MaskingFructose
HumectantTromethamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
AbrasiveEscin
TonicTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin ConditioningSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingAesculus Hippocastanum Extract
AntioxidantLeontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Maltodextrin
AbsorbentXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingButylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
MaskingPersea Gratissima Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin ConditioningMelissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCaramel
Cosmetic ColorantHippophae Rhamnoides Kernel Extract
MaskingSodium Lactate
BufferingMusa Sapientum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningOenothera Biennis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningHarungana Madagascariensis Extract
Skin ConditioningKalanchoe Pinnata Leaf Extract
MaskingMangifera Indica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingCentaurea Cyanus Flower Extract
AstringentTocopherol
AntioxidantHedychium Coronarium Root Extract
MaskingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantDipsacus Sylvestris Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientArundo Donax Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningJania Rubens Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Citrate
BufferingMalpighia Emarginata Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningArbutus Unedo Fruit Extract
AntioxidantPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningCI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin ConditioningWater, Squalane, Hexyl Laurate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Silybum Marianum Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Parfum, Fructose, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Escin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Aesculus Hippocastanum Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Maltodextrin, Xanthan Gum, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Persea Gratissima Oil Unsaponifiables, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Caramel, Hippophae Rhamnoides Kernel Extract, Sodium Lactate, Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract, Oenothera Biennis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Harungana Madagascariensis Extract, Kalanchoe Pinnata Leaf Extract, Mangifera Indica Leaf Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Tocopherol, Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract, Coco-Glucoside, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Dipsacus Sylvestris Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Arundo Donax Stem Extract, Jania Rubens Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Citrate, Malpighia Emarginata Seed Extract, Arbutus Unedo Fruit Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, CI 14700, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1 (aka Pal-GHK) is a synthetic signal peptide made of three amino acids attached to palmitic acid.
That fatty acid attachment is the key: it boosts the peptide's ability to penetrate the skin barrier. This puts it closer to the dermal cells where it can actually make a difference.
Once there, it acts as a matrikine, a signaling peptide that prompts fibroblasts to produce more collagen, fibronectin, and hyaluronic acid.
In vitro studies show it can boost collagen production in skin cells even when UV-damaged skin samples were treated with it at a tiny concentration (it almost fully restored dermal collagen at 5ppm). It achieved this at 100x lower concentration than retinoic acid, which needed 500 ppm to do the same thing.
Human clinical data is promising, but modest:
A study of 23 female volunteers found a small but statistically significant increase (~4%) in skin thickness after treatment at 4 ppm.
A separate small trial of 15 women showed statistically significant reductions in wrinkle length, depth, and skin roughness after applying it twice daily for four weeks.
You'll likely see Pal-GHK paired with Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 as part of the Matrixyl 3000 complex.
Fungal acne note:
Usually a palmitic acid component can feed Malassezia in unbound form, but here is is covalently bonded to the peptide. This means it is very difficult for Malassezia to access, and therefore very unlikely to cause fungal acne.
Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneThis ingredient is extracted from the seeds of the cocoa tree.
Cacao seeds contain antioxidants known as polyphenols. These include flavonoids, procyanidins, and epicatechins.
Studies show these polyphenols help improve skin health.
The more famous ingredient from cocoa tree is cocoa butter.
Learn more about Theobroma Cacao ExtractTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateTromethamine helps balance the pH and improve the texture of a product. It is synthetically created.
As an emulsifier, Tromethamine prevents oil and water ingredients from separating. This helps stabilize the product and elongate a product's shelf life. Tromethamine also makes a product thicker.
Tromethamine helps balance the pH level of a product. Normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5). The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome. Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Oral Tromethanmine is an anti-inflammatory drug but plays the role of masking, adding fragrance, and/or balancing pH in skincare.
1,3-Propanediol, 2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-
Learn more about TromethamineWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum